Our Kind of Love
by lissylu62
Summary: Two people fall in love, but fate seperates them and they become vampires. One is adopted by the Cullens and the other becomes a nomad. They live thinking the other is dead, until their paths cross again. First Fanfic
1. We Were Both Young

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AN: This is my first FanFiction and I really don't know what I'm doing, just trying to figure it out as I go along. Most of the chapter titles are songs or lyrics from songs. My main characters aren't from Twilight, but the Twilight characters do tie in a bit. I wanted to write my own story with my own characters, cause I don't know if I can do Bella and Edward or the rest of the Cullens justice. Hope you like it, and please review : )

**Setting: Right after the start of the Revolutionary War on a plantation near the northern coast of South Carolina. (AN: I don't know much about life in America during this time, except that the Revolutionary War was going on… So if this is extremely inaccurate, I'm sorry for my ignorance)**

**Chapter One: We Were Both Young**

"Nicholas, why are you doing this?" I asked, hearing the worry in my tone. He just sighed and gave me the look that said w_e've been over this a million times before. _I took his look as an answer and continued on, "You don't have to fight. We can leave right now. Go west where they can never find us. Go south and live with the Spanish. Go to England, for all I care. Just please, please don't do this."

"Emma," he said, stopping to sit in our favorite spot in his parent's garden. "I'll do my part for my country, come home unharmed, and then come back to the love of my life."

I smiled at his words. "And just who might that be?" I teased.

He laughed and kissed me, glancing around to see that no one was watching. After a moment he said, "You won't go looking for trouble while I'm gone, will you? I'd fight better knowing you're safe and sound, here at my parents' house."

"Nicholas, why would you even worry about me getting into trouble? We're here, safe and sound. Your parents have enough money to last through the war, even if the plantation shuts down and the war lasts twenty years."

"But what if British soldiers come here?"

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it. We're over two days' ride from any town that's more than just three stores, the British don't want to come here anyway." I could tell that he saw my point there. Where we lived was about a mile from "town", and town was made up of Adams' General Store, the post office, and the meeting hall. Town was surrounded by a few small farms who grew enough food to live off of and a few other plantations like ours. There were so few people out here that even though we definitely had the rich people and the poor people, those who were rich hardly looked down on the poor. The Brooks Plantation, where I would be living during the war, was the biggest in the area.

I turned to look at Nicholas, who was fidgeting and looked nervous. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm just worried about you. I love you so much, I couldn't stand it if anything were to happen to you. When I get home, we're going to move away and start our life together."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Nicholas hadn't even asked me to marry him, and there was nowhere we could move to. My parents were both dead and my brother had taken over running the family's general store. Our whole lives were here.

Nicholas got down on one knee. "Emma Adams, will you be my wife?"

Tears sprung to my eyes as I cried, "Yes, yes, of course." Nicholas smiled as I pulled out the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. It wasn't big or gaudy, just a small circle of white gold with a glittering sapphire slightly smaller than the size of my pinky nail. On each side of the sapphire were little pearls.

"Oh, its so beautiful!"

He slipped the ring on my finger. "Now you're mine forever and ever."

I threw my arms around his neck, wishing the moment would last forever.

"Nicholas!" His brother's voice rang out across the property.

"I guess this means we have to get back," Nicholas smiled, giving me another quick kiss before taking my hand and leading me back to the house.

* * *

When we got back to the house, we were both ushered into the formal sitting room, where all guests were taken when they came to visit. I was surprised to see the elderly Mr. Morris and Mr. Newford sitting there waiting to see us. I knew Mr. Newford from when my parents died; he was in charge of wills, among other things. Mr. Morris owned a large rice plantation not far from here, and had been a good customer in my father's store when I was a child, often buying a piece of candy for my brother and I. I also knew he and his wife, who had passed away not long ago, had always been close to the Brooks and came over for dinner on numerous occasions.

After saying our hellos and how-do-you-dos, Nicholas spoke. "I'm sorry Mr. Morris, but my parents went to visit friends for the day and won't be back until after supper. But you are welcome to stay as long as you like."

Mr. Morris chuckled good naturedly before saying, "How kind of you Nicholas, but I'm actually here to talk to you. My health is failing and I'm due to join my wife, not long from now." He paused to cough. "As you know, I have no children, and none of my relatives would be interested in my plantation. Therefore, I'm ready to will you my plantation and a decent some of money." He paused for dramatic effect. Nicholas seemed shocked. I had no idea what he was planning to do once we got married, but apparently this was much better. I decided to speak for him.

"Mr. Morris, that is so very kind of you."

His eyes sparkled and he glanced at the ring around my finger. "Just think of it as a wedding present, Miss Adams. I'm very much indebted to this family, and Mr. Brooks here is like a son to me."

It was then that Mr. Newford spoke up. "Mr. Morris, Mr. Brooks, I hate to be rude, but I must be going now. I promised my wife I would be home in time for supper, so I must be getting on. Mr. Brooks, I will be in touch with you when uh, the will is in being taken into action."

Mr. Morris said his goodbyes also and left with Mr. Newford, after being thanked profusely by Nicholas. Once they were gone, he picked me up and spun me around. "I knew everything would work out for us, Emma!" We were interrupted by the maid announcing that the mid-day meal was being served on the porch behind the house.

* * *

Over dinner, we filled in Nicholas' brother, Arthur, about Mr. Morris' visit. Arthur seemed truly happy for Nicholas, since Arthur was the one who stood to inherit the Brooks plantation. After dinner, Nicholas had to go pack a few belongs that he would take with him when he left tomorrow. Even though they should have spent this last day with their son, I was happy that his parents were away and that I had him all to myself for the afternoon. It took him 15 minutes to pack everything that he needed, and we spent the rest of the afternoon sitting much closer than the rules of society allowed talking about our plans for the future and how much we would miss each other.

His parents finally pulled up to the house as it was time for me to retire to my rooms and get ready for bed. Nicholas kissed me goodnight for what would be the last time in a long time. We lingered a bit and kissed some more, until we heard the maid opening the door for his parents, at which point I quickly made my way into my bedroom. I couldn't believe that what could possibly be our last day together had gone so quickly. I was helped out of my clothes and into a bath, then into my nightgown. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so when my maid left I lit the lamp and sat staring out my window, thinking. Finally, a few hours later, I dragged myself off to bed and tried my hardest not to cry.


	2. Baby Just Say Yes

**Chapter Two: Baby, Just Say Yes**

He was gone. I was all alone. It didn't matter that I could still visit with his parents and the neighbors, or that I was able to do whatever I liked to fill my free time. It didn't even matter that most of the young girls I was friends with were going through the same thing. The only thing that mattered was Nicholas wasn't here, and that there was the possibility that he would never come back. I tried to put that out of my mind, but it kept coming back. I spent most of my time reading at our bench under our tree, at the spot where I had become the future Mrs. Nicholas Brooks. The spot made me feel closer to Nicholas, while the reading helped keep my mind off of reality.

The worst part about being a woman was the fact that the men seemed to think that we couldn't handle the truth of war. Mr. Brooks avoided the topic of war when I saw him at meals, and whenever we dined with friends the topics stayed light and happy. Arthur was very helpful though. He would often visit with me at my bench, or I'd go visit him in the library. We quickly formed a friendship this way. He would always tell me everything he knew about the war, even the bad news, and would suggest books for me to read. I would give him my opinions and insights, and he listened even though woman weren't supposed to think about anything other than the cooking, cleaning, and entertaining. And we would always read our letters from Nicholas together, and talk about how we thought he was doing. I missed him dearly, but luckily after four months he would be able to come home for about a week. Even though it was such a short period of time, I was determinded to spend every second of it with him.

We had told Nicholas' parents about our engagement, and Mrs. Brooks, Nicholas, and I decided that while he was away we would plan the wedding, so that when he came home for the first time we could be married. The wedding plans combined with Arthur's friendship and visiting with neighbors help the four months pass by quickly, but not quickly enough. Fate had played out everything perfectly. Mr. Morris passed away a few weeks before Nicholas was scheduled to come home. Since most of the wedding plans were already in place by that time, I went over and added personal touches to the house. Pieces of furniture I didn't want were banished to the attic, but for the most part I kept the furniture the same. The only room I changed was our bedroom. Mrs. Brooks let me bring the furniture from Nicholas's room and one of the guest rooms I always admired, and in return I let her take the furniture that I wasn't going to use. By the time I was done, it was our own personalized space to escape from everything, and I hoped he would love it.

* * *

Everything was set for the wedding. Nicholas had come home the day before and we had gotten to spend the afternoon together at our new house. Nicholas loved everything, and kept telling me that I had made the place feel like home. His favorite room was our bedroom. "Because you decorated it yourself and it has your touch in it," he said. But now I was standing in my room at the Brooks house for the last time. I was in my wedding dress in front of a full length mirror. In order to let my future mother-in-law happy, I had let her style the dress. It was white, with a very full skirt that rustled when I moved. The neck line was wide, but modest, and lined with pearl beads. Pearl buttons went up the back, and the sleeves were tight until a little below the elbow, where they became loose and lacy. Apart from the lace, everything was made of silk. My hair was done up, and the veil that my mother had worn was put in place. It was beautiful, but I was so excited to see Nicholas that I barely took any of it in. Time passed slowly, but I was so caught up in my excitement I couldn't tell you what happened between the time I woke up and the time I walked down the aisle.

Nicholas couldn't keep his eyes off me as I walked down the aisle, but he looked so nervous. The people in the audience consisted of my brother, Nicholas's family, and our neighbors. The wedding was outside in the beautiful gardens of the Brooks Plantation. I had set it up so that we would be saying "I do" right in front of our bench. After my brother had given me away, and the preacher had said his stuff, it was time to say "I do". "Nicholas Michael Brooks, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, as long as you both shall live?" He hesitated. We all looked at him expectantly, especially me. Did all those months of worrying mean nothing? He cleared his throat and, after what felt like several life-times, said "I do". The preacher said the same for me, and I quickly replied, "I do". I couldn't believe it. He was finally mine, no matter what happened, he always would be.

After the ceremony, everyone went up to the porch where dinner was served. After dinner there was dancing, and as the sun set Nicholas and I cut the cake. All in all, it was a simple wedding, but it was a day I wanted to remember for the rest of my life. Once the cake had been cut, Nicholas and I were both shooed upstairs. I was quickly changed into a much simpler dress for my ride to my new home, and I knew that in his old room, Nicholas was changing also. My wedding dress was packed into a trunk and taken downstairs to be put into the carriage with the rest of our clothing. I took one last look around my room, even though it was likely that I would return here in Nicholas's next absence if I got lonely. Finally, I made my way downstairs to say goodbye to my guests and suddenly, Nicholas and I were in the carriage on our way to our new home and our life together.

The wedding night was even more wonderful than the wedding. I woke up the next morning next to Nicholas, and wished that we could just stay that way forever, that there was no war, that he would never have to leave me. We only had one more week together before Nicholas had to leave. We ignored all our responsibilities and just had fun, our own version of a honeymoon. But all good things come to an end, and Nicholas left one rainy morning, leaving me even more lonely and lovesick than the first time. The only consoling thought was now I was his wife, and nothing could change that, not even death.


	3. Just a Dream

**Chapter Three: Just a Dream**

**Nicholas POV**

It was dusk, and I was sitting with about ten of my friends around a campfire, thinking of home. It was September, four months after my wedding. I wrote to my beautiful Emma at least every week, and she seemed to write back at the same pace, even though her letters often took some time to reach me. I treasured them all. In fact, they were in my pocket at this moment so that I could add the letter I had received today to the bundle once I was done reading it. I looked down at the ring on my finger. I missed her so much. Why did I have to be out here fighting anyway? I wanted our country to be free and independent, but at times like these I would give it all up just to go home and spend every minute with Emma.

I was jerked out of my thoughts when a cry came out of the woods not far from where we were. We weren't too far from some houses, it could have easily been a person. It sounded like a woman in trouble. Me and two of my other friends jumped up quickly and ran towards the sound to see what was wrong. We soon reached a clearing when we saw a woman standing there. She was extremely beautiful, but she couldn't even hold a candle to my Emma. She was extremely pale with long brown hair and eyes that were completely black.

My friend George broke the silence. "Ma'am, were you in need of help?"

The woman smiled slyly at us. "Why, yes I was. You see, my friend and I are just so thirsty." At this point a man who looked just like her walked out of the shadows. He spoke in a low whisper and I only caught one word: delicious. I didn't like the way they were eyeing us. Before I could even turn around I saw a flash and George crumpled to the ground, his neck broken. The man seemed to magically appear next to my other friend, and bent over him. It went too fast for my brain to process, but I could have sworn he was sucking on him. _Like a vampire…. _It couldn't be. They didn't even exist. But seeing their super-human speed and watching them "drink" my friends blood was enough for me. I wanted to run but before I could turn the woman wrapped her arms around me and said, "Oops. Wouldn't want you getting away." Then she bit me on the closest piece of exposed skin-my neck. Pain shot through my body, worse that any gunshot wound. It felt like being burned alive. I tried to stay focused, but it was impossible to do more than listen to what was going on around me. I collapsed on the ground, and it was the most I could do to keep from screaming in agony. I didn't want anyone to come investigate the screams and meet the same fate as me.

After what could have been minutes or possibly hours went by, the vampires straightened up from my friends, a bit of blood smeared on the sides of their mouths. I shouldn't have noticed these things, but noticing things kept me from going under. If I stopped focusing on my surroundings, I didn't think I'd ever open my eyes again. _Do it for Emma. _Oh Emma, what I wouldn't give to see her one last time. Then I heard the vampires talking.

"What are we going to do with him?" that was the woman speaking.

"Well you were the one who had to go and bite him. You could have just snapped his neck. But no, you were certain we'd still be hungry."

"Well I am so sorry; I didn't know what else to do! We should just carry him deeper into the woods, where they won't hear his screams. Then he'll wake up and figure it out on his own."

"Sounds good enough to me, as long as we don't have to take responsibility for him."

"Relax. No one will even know we were involved in this. Now quick, before their friends come to look."

I lost consciousness. I couldn't help it. The pain was too much, like fire had replaced every blood cell in my body. I felt myself screaming. _They'll think I left, they'll think I died. Poor Emma, I have to get back to her. I have to live, for her._

It felt like weeks had passed since the vampires had left me here in the middle of nowhere, but I had no way of knowing how long it really was. All I knew was one day, fire was gone. Except in my throat. My throat felt just as bad as it had been feeling. I tried to push that to the back of my mind, but I couldn't. The thought stayed there, taking over everything else. Except one thing. _Emma._ I had to find her, as soon as I found a way around this pain. That's when I smelled something. It smelled good enough, but not as appetizing as I would have liked. I turned and saw a deer. That must be it. I wanted meat. Suddenly, my thirst took over everything and I attacked, taking the deer down easily. The burning in my throat subsided somewhat, and I came back to reality. _They must have turned me into one of them. A vampire. _I looked down at myself for the first time. Sunlight streamed in through the trees, and my skin was _glittering._ I would have to avoid the sunlight. And people. I wanted to learn to control myself around people before I went to see Emma. I didn't know what it would be like to be around humans, but I knew I would face it, face anything, for her.

* * *

**Emma POV**

Not long after Nicholas left again, a man named Carlisle Cullen came to town to be a doctor. Why he chose this place we would never know, because even though we loved it here, it was often cloudy and most of the town was overshadowed by pine trees. To outsiders, it was gloomy. To residents, it was home. I happened to be the first one he ran into and I invited him to tea. Over tea, he asked me where he could find a room and a place to set up his practice. The only people in my house were me, my one maid who was also my cook, the stable boy, and our butler who oversaw the field workers and the income while Nicholas was away. We didn't need a huge staff because I helped with the cooking and cleaning, and even though I was very close to all three of them I often wished for a bit more company. I asked Carlisle to set up his practice in the third sitting room, which had sat empty for years and was gathering dust. I allowed him the bedroom farthest from my room, and he moved in right away for only the smallest monthly fee.

I loved my new border and the company he provided, but in some ways he was peculiar. He was extremely pale and had golden eyes. He never came to tea and insisted he would get his own meals, so I never saw him eat. But he was a great help to have around the house and all the people who came to see him added even more company for me. At night we would sit around the fire and talk about things, him often telling me stories of the faraway places he'd visited. Months passed, and soon it was September. Then, at the beginning of October, my happy little life changed.

It started when I stopped receiving letters from Nicholas. I knew sometimes his letters had problems reaching him, but his letters never seemed to have a problem reaching me. Then, one day a letter came informing me that Nicholas had disappeared. He was last seen a few weeks ago when he went into the woods after hearing a cry for help. He wasn't heard or seen for two weeks, at which point they considered him dead and sent me the letter. When I received it, I went into shock. This couldn't be happening, there was no way this was happening. I calmly set down the letter and walked out of the house, forgetting my shoes and my hat. At that point, I didn't really care.

I didn't know where I was going, but somehow I ended up at the beach where Nicholas and I had spent a few days together after our wedding. I sat down, stared out into the ocean, and cried. I cried and cried until my eyes were dry, and even then I just sat. The sun started to get close to the water, and some sort of instinct told me to get home. I didn't care where I went, I just let my body go where my feet carried me. I took the short cut through the woods to get home, not paying attention to where I was going. I could see the lights in my house when suddenly, I was on the ground and there was a sharp pain in my back. I rolled over only to see that I had tripped and landed on a snake. I could have dealt with even that, except the bite was on fire. I screamed, not knowing what else to do. My vision went a bit foggy and I started towards the house. The last thing I saw was Carlisle running toward me before I fell to the ground and was blissful surrounded by blackness.


	4. Aftermath

**Chapter Four: Aftermath**

The empty blackness didn't last long. Soon it was filled with fire. I screamed and twisted, trying to run, to escape. And then, it was gone. The fire receded and all of it seemed to take residence in my throat. I opened my eyes. The walls around me were rock, like we were in a cave. I smelled the ocean, so we must have been a few miles away from my house, in the sea caves everyone knew about but no one was brave enough to try to get to. I looked around and saw Carlisle, standing with his back to me and looking out at the ocean.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You were bitten by a copperhead. You almost died, but …" His voice trailed off.

"Why aren't I at home? And why did the bite burn so much if you were able to save me? I could feel it everywhere."

"It wasn't the snake bite that burned so much. That was my bite. I had to bite you, to keep you from dying. And you aren't at home because you're no longer human and the humans can't know what you are. I made sure they all thought you had drowned and that I tried but was too late to save you."

"You…." I was completely astounded. If I wasn't human, what was I? And why couldn't they know?

Carlisle saw my obvious confusion and continued. "I'm a vampire Emma. And now, you are too. But I'm a special kind. I don't drink human blood, but animal blood. It allows me to live safely with humans. You can be the same way if you like." I was still too shocked to speak. I hadn't asked for any of this.

The vampire thing I could grasp. But what did that mean? Other than my eating habits, what changed?

"So now I'm a vampire now. What changes?"

I sensed pity in Carlisle's gaze now. "You'll never die Emma. You're immortal; stuck at 17 forever. Your body is frozen. And you can't go out into the sunlight with humans watching, unless you want to expose our secret."

I decided to find out why for myself. I had been standing next to Carlisle, just out of the sun's reach, but then I took a step forward and gasped. I looked like I had been covered in diamonds.

Carlisle gave me a weary smile. "That's why. Also, you're strong, rock-hard, and have super human abilities. No living thing can compare to you." I noticed he said everything dryly, as if it was supposed to be every man's dream come true only for it to turn into a nightmare.

I didn't want any of this. Now instead of living a life without Nicholas, I had to spend the rest of forever missing him. It didn't matter that now I could travel to every country in the world, learn every language, read every book, or learn to play every instrument. I could do any of those things if I wanted to. But the only thing I wanted was to someday join Nicholas, and now the only chance I had of that was gone. Suddenly, I didn't care that I sparkled in the sunlight and would attract the attention of humans if they saw me.

I dashed out of the cave, enjoying the speed my new existence had given me. I ran along the shoreline until the caves were out of sight, then sat by the water and stared out at the waves and the gulls. I wished I could cry. I wanted nothing more than to cry right then, but that was one of the many things I would now miss. The water was shiny and reflective, and I caught a glimpse of my face. It appeared to be just as pale as the rest of my body, and my eyes were black and cold. My features were the same, but somehow better. I was just as unnaturally gorgeous as Carlisle, but that didn't matter to me anymore either. Nothing did. I tried to picture Nicholas's face in my mind, but my human memories were already becoming fuzzy, especially the ones that weren't recent. This just made me madder. I had to see his face, to be able to picture it for all eternity so I would never forget him. I concentrated hard on how he had looked at our wedding and then suddenly…

_I was there at our wedding, watching from the back row. I saw Nicolas, his parents, my friends and my brother, all as if they were standing right in front of me. I watched the ceremony and then the party, not knowing if this was another vampire power or if I was just crazy but I wasn't going to complain. If I couldn't be with Nicholas in reality, then at least I still had my memories._

"Emma? Emma!" Carlisle's voice yanked me back to where I was. I opened my eyes, sadly still sitting on the beach, shining brilliantly in the sun.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You looked like you fell asleep, which is impossible for vampires."

"I wasn't sleeping I was…" I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "…reliving a memory. It was like I was there again, watching the whole thing."

Carlisle didn't look worried, just slightly confused. "Is that not normal for a vampire?"

He looked at me and half smiled. "No, it isn't normal. But you aren't the first person I've met with special powers. You see, my theory is, as vampires, all of our traits get intensified. Sometimes, one of those traits turns into somewhat of a special power. Did you have a really good memory as a human?"

I thought back. I had been better at remembering detail than anyone else, so I guess this was a reasonable power for me to have. But even though I was happy that I could practically relive the past, I wondered why being able to see the past would be helpful. Suddenly, I had an idea.

I thought about yesterday, around noon, but I focused on the spot I was in. Then, just as suddenly as the first time, I was on the beach, but the sun was right above my head and I saw a man I didn't recognize, walking along the shoreline with his dog. I called out to him, but my voice didn't seem to be working. I stood right in front of him, but he just walked right through me. So I could watch what had happened, anytime, but I couldn't interact or change anything. Still, I guess this had its uses.

When I snapped back to the present, Carlisle was watching me. "What did you see?"

"I saw this beach, but in the past. Yesterday, in fact."

Carlisle looked thoughtful. "I have an idea. Try to see somewhere you've never been."

I focused on London, England, last Tuesday. Nothing. I frowned. Then I focused on the cave we had just been in. Still nothing.

"I can only see the past if I'm standing in that spot. The only time I go somewhere else is in my memories."

Carlisle looked thoughtful, but I guess it made sense. As much as any of this made sense anyway.

"You need something to drink," Carlisle realized suddenly. "You must be dying of thirst."

I hadn't been until he mentioned it, but now that I was thinking about it the burning in my throat came back, stronger than ever.

The next twenty minutes I blocked out of my mind. Carlisle took me somewhere far away from people, and my hunting instincts took over. I don't even remember what I ate, but I felt much better once I had. The only bad thing was the absence of thirst allowed me to think of Nicholas.

"We need to leave, live somewhere where you won't be recognized." Carlisle said once we were back in our cave. The sun was setting, and he had decided to leave under the cover of nightfall.

"How can we go anywhere?" I asked, even though I didn't really care. It didn't matter to me how we lived, but I knew Carlisle wouldn't want to live like an animal.

"They still think I'm alive." He replied. "I can go back, gather my things, and tell them I'm leaving. And I've been alive for so long I have quite a bit of money saved up. We'll be fine."

I sighed. With Carlisle as my companion, this new life wouldn't be nearly as hard as it would have been on my own. But I would have rather lived a whole life with Nicholas than an immortal life without. Spending forever alone just didn't have the same appeal. Carlisle was a great man, but I didn't feel anything romantic for him. I sighed again. This new life would take some getting used to.


	5. Alone

**Chapter Five: Alone**

**AN: I just realized I totally forgot to put on a disclaimer. So….**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, any of the characters, or anything else in the Twilight world, Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Nicholas POV**

I waited months, going near towns to see if I could stand the smell of humans enough to be able to talk to Emma, to hug her and kiss her and tell her it was going to be alright. At first, it was the hardest thing I've ever done, not biting one of those humans, although the thought of Emma kept me from harming anybody. In December I felt strong enough to go find her. I had been slowly making my way towards home, and now I could run and make it there by sun down.

I arrived home just before dark. The sun was still out so I waited in the woods until I could walk around without my skin sparkling and arousing suspicion. About an hour later, I made my way towards my plantation. When I got there, the door was opened by my old butler, whose jaw dropped in surprise.

"Hello Noah, is Mrs. Brooks home?" I asked.

"Mr. Brooks, we all thought you were dead!" Noah exclaimed, trying and failing to hide his shock. My question went unanswered.

"Well I was lost in the woods for awhile, but I'm not dead. I've been trying so long to make my way here, I wish I could have contacted you sooner. Now could you please send my wife down?"

A sad look passed over his face as he said, "Mr. Brooks, I'm really sorry, but Mrs. Brooks… Well she drowned. The day the army sent a letter saying you had gone missing, she went out. A friend of hers tried to save her but it was too late. Her grave is in the backyard, if you would like to look."

Dead. Gone. All those months had been for nothing. But surprisingly, I wasn't tempted to kill Noah or to go into a fit of rage and destroy the house. Instead, I decided to get everything sorted out before I was Emma's grave and went completely out of my mind.

"I would really like that, but first I need to talk to you and whoever else is living here. Who does the house belong to now?" I asked, keeping my tone surprisingly calm.

Noah called in the maid and cook, Anna, and the stable boy, Aaron. They started when they surprised me, Anna actually dropping tray of tea she had brought in. She started to go clean it up, but I told her to wait. The strong smell of tea covered up the smell of their blood, if only slightly. Not that I was even thirsty for it in the first place-I knew Emma would have cringed at the thought of me killing another human being if I didn't have to. And I'd seen enough of that in war anyway.

"Nicholas! You, you're back!" Anna exclaimed. Aaron just looked at me with a puzzled look, like contemplating an animal he'd never seen before.

"Yes, I was lost in the woods. It took me months to get out and even longer to get here," I told her. Not a complete lie, since it did take me a long time to be in control of my thirst and I couldn't get out of the woods until then.

"So, what happened?" David asked me. They must have gotten more comfortable with authority since they'd been doing whatever it was they were doing since I'd left and Emma had-no, I couldn't think about it. Not yet.

"Why don't you tell me what has gone on here since Emma…" I let my voice trail. Luckily, David jumped in.

"I've been running the plantation, just like I would if we hadn't gotten that letter. We were going to wait a year before letting your parents come in and sell the place, just to be courteous to your memory and to give you a chance to come home. Everything has been running smoothly. The three of us are like a family. I run the business, Anna cleans and cooks for us, Aaron takes care of the horses and helps me and Anna when we need it." I simply nodded, waiting for him to continue. He didn't seem to know what to say, but after a brief silence he said, "So what should we do now that you're home? We can send for your family right away or-"

"No, not yet. Actually, something happened when I was in the woods. I'm not human, not anymore."

Anna gasped, David looked at me in disbelief, and Aaron asked, "Well then, what are you?"

"I shouldn't tell you. You'll run out of this house screaming about the crazy man back from the dead."

"We won't," Anna assured me.

"Of course we won't," Aaron backed up Anna and David nodded in agreement. "We'll do whatever you need us too."

I sighed, but I was happy that they were this devoted to a man who, until ten minutes ago, they had thought was dead. "Well, all you need to know is that I'm immortal. And I want to see my brother and my parents one last time, but after that I'll just live here alone. And I no longer need food, I can get that for myself. Is my bedroom the way it was when I left?"

"Yes. That's the one room we haven't touched."

"Well that's good. I no longer need sleep, but I will need clothes and to bathe every once in awhile. I shouldn't even be telling you this because I don't need a house to live, but I wanted to live here." _Because it makes me feel closer to Emma. _I added on mentally. It really wouldn't be that difficult. I would replace the help when I absolutely had to, with people I trusted. Soon everyone who would want to visit me would be gone, and the people new to town would just wonder at the mystery of the place. It might be a bit conspicuous, but it didn't matter. I would leave only when forced, and even then it wouldn't mean anything, because I could stay in the woods, visiting Emma's grave at night. What really surprised me was the fact that Aaron, Anna, and David were willing to accept this with very little explanation. I think I had everything covered. I didn't need much money, and they were willing to work for little, most likely because they would all live here and I paid for food also. Finally, I stood.

"Please take me to see Emma." I told David.

I followed him out to the back yard, under a beautiful willow tree. There, I saw a bench. Looking closer, I saw that it was our bench, from my parent's backyard.

David saw me looking at the bench and said, "Emma had that moved here, as a wedding present to you, shortly after you left. She loved to sit out here and we thought that it would be a good place to remember her." As he said that, my attention was drawn to the simple granite tombstone.

"It's perfect," I whispered, not even sure if David heard me. He nodded, and patted me on the shoulder with brotherly affection. I wasn't expecting that, I had expected humans to be instinctively cautious around me. David left, and I read the writing on the tombstone.

_Emma Rebekah Adams Brooks_

_1757-1776_

_Loving and Devoted Wife_

I sat on the bench under the willow tree for I don't know how long, thinking about the happy memories made here and all the memories that could have been but now couldn't be. The sun rose many hours later, but still I sat, missing my other half and knowing I would never be whole again.


End file.
